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- GH41D-0709: Uranium Isotopes Reveal Redox-Driven Groundwater Uranium Cycling in Northern Plains Aquifers
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Board 0709‚ Hall EFG (Poster Hall)NOLA CC
Author(s):Generic 'disconnected' Message
Arijeet Mitra, Columbia University of New York (First Author, Presenting Author)
Randall Hughes, Missouri Breaks Industries (MBIRI)
Tracy Zacher, Missouri Breaks Industries (MBIRI)
Rae O'Leary, Missouri Breaks Industries (MBIRI)
Reno Red Cloud, Oglala Sioux Tribe Water Resources Dept.
Bayley Sbardellati, Union College
Mason Stahl, Union College
Benjamin Bostick, Columbia University of New York
Steven Chillrud, Columbia University of New York
Alex N. Halliday, Columbia University of New York
Ana Navas-Acien, Columbia University of New York
Kathrin Schilling, Columbia University of New York
Anirban Basu, Columbia University of New York
Many rural communities in the Northern Plains, including Native American reservations, rely on private wells for drinking water. In some areas, these wells contain uranium (U), a naturally occurring element that can be harmful to health at high levels. We studied groundwater from 140 wells in a tribal region of South Dakota to learn how uranium moves and how it is stored underground. We measured uranium concentration, its isotopic signature (“fingerprints”), and other water chemistry indicators in these samples that tell us whether the water is oxygen-rich or oxygen-poor. Our results show that uranium behaves very differently across the region. In some places, oxygen-rich water causes uranium to dissolve from rocks and build up in groundwater. In other areas, low-oxygen conditions trap uranium and keep it out of the water. By combining isotope mapping with these chemical clues, we can identify where uranium problems are most likely and help communities and water managers protect drinking water quality.
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